Windows Defender ATP: comes in Windows 7 and 8.1

Microsoft recently announced that Windows Defender's Windows Defender's Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) feature will also be available in Windows 7 and 8.1 operating systems starting this summer.

The company will thus offer Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR) to all the systems it still supports with updates.

Windows Defender ATP EDR will give administrators a rich view of the threats that end up in their endpoints, providing more accurate information to help protect each company's systems.

Microsoft also advises companies to combine EDR with Windows Defender, although it may "run side-by-side with third-party virus protection solutions."

"With Windows Defender ATP for Windows 10, Windows Server 2012R2 and 2016, it will be available in both Windows 7 and 8.1, providing security teams with a single solution for detecting and responding to advanced attacks," said Rob Lefferts, Partner Officer of Windows & Devices, Security & Enterprise.

Accelerating Microsoft's efforts to upgrade clients in Windows 7 is not surprising and is likely to accelerate in the coming months.

Windows 7 reaches the end of support with updates from the company in January of 2020, so consumers and organizations using the operating system have less than 2 years to complete the upgrade to either Windows 8.1 or Windows 10.

Statistics show, however, that Windows 7 still works at 40% of online systems around the world.

It remains to be seen whether Microsoft's attractive offer will be adopted by consumers and businesses.

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